Music Composition

On December 4, 1963, the Vatican Council II (VCII) passed a decree permitting the Mass to be conducted in the vernacular. 1 Such a reform had the potential of transforming the way in which communicants engaged in worship and challenged the distinctive ritualization strategies of the Mass for which the priest ritualised the traditional Eucharistic meal. In the Mass, the actions of eating flesh and drinking blood are symbolic – a theatrical act to preserve the memory of sacrifice. The language reform favoured comprehension of such symbols and provoked widespread debate. For theologians, such as Dom Gregory Dix, the fundamental quality lost by the implementation of this reform was mystery – " the Eucharist is a holy mystery to be experienced, not something to comprehend with the mind and reduce to rational categories. " 2 Following a similar logic, the British composer Sir Peter Maxwell Davies condemned the language reform by writing a powerfully damning response in the form of a music theatre piece for dancer, cello and ensemble titled Vesalii Icones (1969) 3. The year of the VCII decree occurred during a period when Davies was using music theatre as a vehicle for musical protest. His focus was on what he perceived as religious corruption within the Catholic Church, which was spearheaded by his opera Taverner (1962-8) that dealt with the forced betrayal of a musician's artistry for the sake of Church dogma. Through Vesalii Icones, Davies conducted an attack on the Council's language reform; ultimately, he believed the use of the vernacular as a language to convey the sacred jeopardized the mystery behind the sanctity of the ritual that is the Catholic Mass. The objective of this paper is to unravel why Vesalii Icones heightens mystery and how increasing mystification, increases revelation. First, I will focus on the most ritualistically overt sound in Vesalii Icones – the ringing of the Sanctus bells. These bells mark the boundary points of individual musical movements. However, I will argue that these bell solos are 'contaminated' by composed music, which as examples of imported secular music, dissolve the demarcated boundaries between musical movements and the sacred from the profane. Second, I intend to reveal the presence of recursive structures operating at a sectional and macro level. The consequence of these structures destabilises the structured ritual framework. To reinforce this observation, I will draw on the anthropological work of Don Handelman, referring to research from his two papers Ritual in its own Right and Models and Mirrors. 4 By citing Handelman, I intend to demonstrate that the structure of Vesalii Icones effectuates a curve that is intensified by the lack of demarcated boundaries and the use of recursions. Effectively, the piece folds in on itself, torqueing from a point of intense introspection, which represents the point of ultimate concealment. Following the point in which the ritual achieves maximum introspection, the drama suddenly springs outwards in a display of unabashed exhibitionism with the dancer flinging off his garments – this is the moment of revelation. 1) The VCII language reform and the premise of Vesalii Icones The VCII language reform revaluated the operational nature of the Mass and challenged the communicative function of ritualistic language. The council's intention was to foster the communal aspects of the liturgy. By supplanting Latin as the language of Catholic ritual, it

Right-wing prejudice has recently infiltrated the politics of every country in the globe. Barriers are
increasingly being put up to protect national borders, that are in themselves, not natural, but sociopolitical
constructs. This composition is a reaction to this – Pokój w Pokoju translates as “peace in a
room”; the composition acts as a statement of dissent regarding the behaviour of current political
leaders.
The word peace is in every language. Pokój w Pokoju begins by setting this word in the
languages of the warring factions in the current Syrian conflict and progresses to represent conflicting
sides in Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Cambodia and the colossal conflict of WWII – the war to end
all wars.

The message of this piece lies in a reaction to the time it was written – COVID19 and the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement – two of the largest upheavals for mankind this century. During writing, these two competing currents were occurring simultaneously in the USA. COVID19 represented a complete waste of human life, while BLM conveyed that life mattered. A common theme to both currents was the idea of “I can’t breathe”. This was the climate that unified the four members of the Unheard-Of//Ensemble to myself, in spite of the physical and spatial dislocation.

When this piece started, Afghanis were fleeing their war-ravaged country. When it finished, Ukrainians were fleeing their homes and another war encroached our concept of existence. Throughout writing, my daily thought was what is prayer for. No matter what religion you are, I understand prayer to be about seeking unity – a statement as a resistance to conflict.

With the assumption that Apathy is an emotion relevant our current century, this piece fights with the frustration as to why we disconnect from the plight of others. In my lifetime, the most apathy I have seen has been towards refugees – those seeking a safer home. The message behind this 1-hour piece is an appeal for equity and inclusivity.

This sample is the moment where the audience ‘migrates’ from one venue to another space. The percussionists shout out ‘lass uns gehen’ indicating the move. The electronics include protests from the last years, eg, the MeToo movement, Black Lives Matter, the Umbrella movement. You are not supposed to hear it, it is the shout of humanity heard from other planets.

In sudden contrast, the sopranos sing in the space outside the venue, …barfuß im Herzen; auf diese, unsere Erde, ohne grenzen’; barefooted in our heart; on this our earth, without limits.